A Tale Of Goofs And Fire
by ScorpioGirl1987
Summary: REVAMPED! Formerly Heartache. Takes place after Mickey's Twice Upon A Christmas. Max finally accepts his dad and wants to apologize and set things right once and for all. But when tragedy strikes, will he still get a chance to talk to him?
1. Chapter 1

**I just watched Mickey's Twice Upon A Christmas, and Max mentions in song "I guess I should apologize to you...". I kind of wish it was shown. So, I decided to write it!**

**I do not own Max, Mona, Goofy, or anyone familiar to Disney. They belong to Disney.**

**JUNE 2011 EDIT: I decided to go a different direction with this (Goofy's not going to die, relax, guys...), so I'm editing this chapter.**

It was the day after Christmas, and I was dropping Mona off at the train station. Mona and I had met earlier this year. We started off as friends and started going out when we accidentally shared a kiss on a bumpy bus.. I was thinking about proposing, but decided to wait a few more months. I spent Thanksgiving with her parents and many siblings, so she spent Christmas with me and my dad.

My father...whom I treated like dirt all these years.

Ok, so I wasn't THAT bad. But still...I was so...clouded with judgementalism and Pete saying those things about me and my dad...so embarrassed by his neediness and over protectiveness and clumsiness that I didn't see past all that.

I didn't see that he loved and supported me in any way he could. And I pushed him away.

My thoughts were interrupted by Mona touching my lap. "Hey, are you okay?"

I glanced over at Mona's concerned expression and smiled. "I'm fine. I guess I was just thinking..."

"About?" Mona prompted.

I sighed heavily. "This weekend, I...I don't know. Seeing my dad again, and the not-so-long walk I took the night we came, had me thinking about our relationship."

"Didn't you get along?" Mona asked, raising an eyebrow.

"We did, but..." I found a parking space in the station parking lot. We were early, so we just sat in the car. "...I was so embarrassed by him. I couldn't see that he was possibly the best father ever." I sighed again sadly and leaned against the steering wheel. "I suck.. I feel like I need to redeem myself."

Mona sighed and put her arm around me. "You do not suck. You already redeemed yourself in your dad's eyes. You may not realize it, but you already have."

I looked at her in surprise. "What?"

"I had a long talk with the guy." Mona explained. "And all he would talk about was you."

"Seriously?"

Mona nodded. "It was kind of annoying."

"Oh...sorry." I looked out the window shield.

Mona chuckled softly. "But it was very sweet. He told me that all he ever wanted was your happiness and that you'd grow up to be...more successful and stable than he ever was. He's kind of jealous of you."

I was touched No one ever told me any of this. "I hope he can forgive me."

"Max, you're sorry for what you did, right?" Mona asked gently.

"More sorry than I've ever been in my life." I admitted.

"Then he'll forgive you." Mona smiled. "He will."

I smiled. Mona should've became a psychologist instead of an artist. We hug, then I helped her get to her train.

XX

At eight-o-clock in the morning, Spoonerville was just starting to wake up. People were driving or walking to get to work. I hit some morning traffic on the way to my dad's. While I was driving, I thought about what I should say.

What _should_ I say? I haven't really apologized sincerely in a long time. I feel kind of bad about that.

...No...I feel REALLY bad about that.

Am I a bad person? I mean...I've never cheated, I drive carefully, I treat women with the respect they deserve, I never drink or do anything that damages my body...

I would never engage in terrorist activities or criminal activities.

I never actually been grounded (Well, probably because Dad was so easygoing)

Sigh...

XXX

As I drove closer to Dad's I kept hearing sirens.

Uh-oh, someone must have accidentally started a fire, because I see smoke coming...from...Dad's street...

Oh, no...

I drove faster towards my dad's house. My heart beat faster and faster as I drove closer to dad's. Sure enough, there was a fire truck and an ambulance parked in front of Dad's. I parked across the street and gasped in horror. My stomach dropped and I could barely breathe.

_'No...oh my God, please, no...'_

I clumsily unbuckled my seat belt and slammed the door open. My legs were shaking, but I ignored them as I ran across the street (and almost got hit by a passing car in the process).

I frantically looked around for my dad or someone to ask what's going on. I finally located my dad on a stretcher by the ambulance.

"Dad!" I exclaim running over to his side. I breathed in sharply. He was all burned up and unconscious with an oxygen mask on his face. I had to hold on to the stretcher to keep from falling.

"Excuse me." I turned around to see a paramedic. "Are you his son?"

I swallowed. "Yes. I'm Max. Could you tell me what happened?"

"You'll have to talk to the firemen about that." The paramedic answered. "But, as far as I know, they found your father under a pile of debris."

I nodded and cleared my throat. "Is...he going to be okay?"

"He's non-responsive, so it's too early to tell." The paramedic said sadly. "Is there anyone you'd like to call? To meet your father at the hospital while you talk to the firemen?"

I sighed and nodded. I pulled out my phone and called Pete, Dad's lifelong friend.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Pete, it's Max. Listen...there was a fire at my dad's. I wasn't here, but..." I glanced over at my dad who was being put in the ambulance. "My dad is hurt badly, and I need to stay and talk with the firemen. Co-could you...?"

"Why of course, neighbor." Pete simpered. "What am I if not a good neighbor and friend? What hospital are they taking him to?"

"Spoonerville General."

"I am on my way."

"Okay. Thanks, Pete." I hung up my phone, and told the paramedic to look for Pete, and gave him my phone number. He also asked for my drivers license to make sure I was old enough to ah...call the shots for Dad's treatment and care. Something also told me to call Mickey, so I called him to let him know what was going on.

I watched the ambulance drive off and turned to the house. Smoke was billowing out everywhere. I could see flames dancing in every window and water dousing them out. I hugged myself against the cold and approached the fire chief.

"Excuse me...my father lives here. Could you tell me what happened?" I asked, my voice shaking slightly.

"The fire started roughly two hours ago." the chief explained. I swallowed. That's when Mona and I left. The fire must have started after we left, and we hadn't noticed. The chief continued. "It was most likely still-burning sparks of coal from the fireplace. It caught the wood on fire, it spread to your Christmas tree, and started a chain reaction. Your dad probably woke up, panicked, tried to put the fire out...this is an old house. It started to fall apart with the fire...a beam broke out and knocked your father unconscious."

I just stared. I can not believe he just tried to put the fire out. Doesn't he know the first rule of fire safety? If your house is on fire, go outside somewhere safe and call the fire department.

...Speaking of... "Hey, how did you know the house was on fire? Did my dad call you guys?"

"Uh, no, actually, your next-door neighbor called us." The chief revealed. "He said that he'd take care of your dad, but his daughter told us about you, so wee told him he could stay until you arrived, but he left in a huff. It was kind of random to tell you the truth."

"Oh." I changed the subject. "Is anything salvageable?"

We looked at the house as the firefighters started pouring back out. One came up to us.

"The fire is completely out now. Most of the stuff in there is burned or damaged. It looks like roughly only forty percent of your possessions is salvageable." He turned to me.

I closed my eyes and sighed inwardly. Only forty percent? And pictures burn easily. All those memories...lost...

**Well, what do you think? I can't tell if you guys like it if you don't leave reviews! ;)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Um...so...I decided to go in a different direction with this. I guess...I've been watching The Lion King way too many times, and this idea popped into my head. Don't worry. Goofy's not going to die.**

**And I changed the title, 'cause this was originally going to be a oneshot, but I changed my mind. The title A Tale of Goofs and Fire is a parody of the Gilmore Girls episode title A Tale of Poes and Fire.**

Mickey and Donald didn't tell me this story until after this whole thing was over, and if they had told me right away, I probably wouldn't have believed it.

Mickey called Donald after I called him. They rushed straight to the hospital where they saw Pete already talking to Dad's doctor.

"...I have been Goofy's best friend since high school. I love him like a brother." Pete was saying. "I'd be happy to oversee his care."

"Wak? Pete is not Goofy's best friend!" Donald exclaimed glaring at Pete.

Pete turned to Donald and Mickey. "What are you two doing here?"

"We should ask you the same thing." Mickey said, also glaring at Pete.

"Well, if you must know, Max called me and told me to keep an eye on his pop for him." Pete answered smugly.

"Ehh, Max has always been dubious." Donald quipped. Mickey nudged him reproachfully.

"Well, for what it's worth, it's nice of ya to come check on Goofy." Mickey said. He folded his arms. "Unless you have another motive."

"Oh, what motive could I possibly have for taking care of da Goof?" Pete asked. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you didn't trust me."

"Whatever gave you that idea?" Asked Donald sarcastically.

Pete glared at Donald and turned to the doctor, who looked bored. "Anyways, I'd be glad to take care of Goofy while he's here."

"That's sweet, but, his care goes to his next of kin, so you kind of don't have any legal authority." The doctor replied. "You are, however, welcome to stay for...emotional support or whatever."

"Thank you." Mickey said. The doctor nodded and walked off. Pete grumbled and walked off. Mickey and Donald stared after Pete suspiciously.

"Something's screwy." Donald commented.

"I agree." Mickey sighed. "But, what can he be up to?"

XXX

I drove to the hospital as fast as I could without going over the speed limit. Dad was in surgery.

….You know, now that I think about it, I'm not all that surprised. I guess I've been anticipating this moment. I was wondering when my dad would land in the hospital...I'm surprised it took this long! I mean, in the time I've been on this earth, I had never seen my father in the hospital as a patient. It's gonna be weird.

As I drove through an intersection a car whizzed by me so fast, it almost hit me! I yelled out in surprise and pulled over to compose myself. What just happened? Whoa...that was freaky...

XX

I ran to the waiting room and met Mickey.

"Max!" He called to me. "Donald and Pete were here, but they left."

I shook my head. Pete rushing off early wasn't a surprise. "Thanks for coming." I sat down and sighed.

"I'm sure your dad'll be fine." Mickey assured me. "He's strong. Not even a boulder to the head can kill him!"

I had to chuckle at that. My and my dad's family doctor Linzer came up to us. I stood up. "Hello, Max. Your dad is still in surgery. He suffered head trauma slight internal bleeding. Most likely, a beam from the ceiling broke out, knocked your dad unconscious, and more parts of the ceiling fell on him."

I swallowed. "He didn't inhale too much smoke, did he?"

"He inhaled quite a bit." Dr. Linzer revealed. "But, not enough to damage his lungs completely. He may have to stay in the hospital for a few days."

"Oh..." I sighed. Well, at least he'll be okay. "How long will he be in surgery?"

"About six hours. Your dad's a fighter. Maybe if we're lucky, he won't be in surgery for that long." Dr. Linzer smiled hopefully.

I nodded and smiled. "Thanks."

XX

"...So, after that, I headed to the courthouse to take out the deed to the house."

Later that day, I was over at PJ's house. PJ lives with his wife of three years, Mia, who is pregnant with their first child, and our longtime friend Bobby, who is separated from his wife Stacy. We were all gathered around PJ's kitchen table drinking- what else?- coffee. I took a sip of my coffee and sighed deeply.

"The house is pretty much gone." I said, closing my eyes. "All our stuff...our memories...and my dad's in surgery. God...why did this happen?"

"Bad luck?" Bobby suggested. He shrugged.

I chuckled humorlessly. "I just...keep thinking it's karma. Maybe if I hadn't been so...awful this wouldn't have happened."

"Dude, come on. You weren't so bad!" PJ said reassuringly. "I mean, yeah, you could've handled certain situations better..."

"But, it's never too late to start over." Bobby put in.

"What made you think it was karma, anyway?" Asked PJ.

I shrugged. "I guess...I realize now that yes, my dad is clumsy, accident-prone, and...well...goofy, but his heart is definitely in the right place, and he loved me and raised me well. He made me look good."

Bobby and PJ smiled at each other. "Well, it's about damn time you saw the light!"

I just stared at them. "What?"

"We've been trying to tell you for years: stop caring about what people think, and don't judge yourself or your dad harshly!" Bobby exclaimed.

"Yeah! I mean, do you know how lucky you are to have such an amazing dad?" PJ asked. "I mean, when you compare your dad to mine and Bobby's..."

"Dude!" Bobby glared at PJ. Bobby's dad bailed out on him and his mom when Bobby was in fourth grade. The subject of his dad was a sore one.

"Sorry..."

"I'd give anything to turn back the clock." I admitted.

PJ decided to change the subject slightly. "How'd the fire start, anyway? Did they ever find out?"

I shook my head. I was about to say something, when the doorbell rang. PJ ran to answer it. A few minutes later, he walked back into the kitchen.

"Max, the fire chief is here. He wants to talk to you."

"Okay." I got up and walked to the living room. "Hey, chief. What's up?"

"We may have figured out the source of the fire." He said. "Did you or your father light a candle in your living room last night?"

I was about to shake my head no, but then my eyes widened as I realized...

"_Shhh. Try not to wake my dad." I said as Mona and I walked down the stairs. As I said that, Mona's suitcase slipped from my fingers, and fell down a few steps before I caught it._

_Mona laughed. "So much for being careful!" _

"_Oh, hush." I carefully stepped down to pick up the suitcase and walked quietly down the stairs. "All right, where are the keys...?" I spotted them on a small table in the entryway. I accidentally knocked something to the ground as I reached for Dad's car keys._

"_We'll probably get there a bit early." Mona said._

"_Yeah..." We headed out the door._

I blinked in shock and horror. That thing I knocked over was a candle...I knocked it over, and I didn't pick it up or notice it was still burning. The fire was my fault. "I...I don't know..."

"All right, well, I hope your dad gets better." The fire chief said. "I'll want to talk to him when he does." With that, he left.

Pete walked slowly into the living room looking somber. "Max, what have you done?"

"There was a still burning candle...I knocked it over without realizing it. It was an accident. I didn't mean for that to happen." I said, shell-shocked.

"Of course. Of course you didn't." Pete said mildly comforting. "No one ever means for something like this to happen. But Goofy is in the hospital. And he wouldn't be if it weren't for you."

I sunk lower on the couch wracked with guilt. I buried my face in my hands in despair. Pete was right: it was my fault. If I had been more careful, the house wouldn't have burned down, and Dad wouldn't be in the hospital.

"I...I have to go..." I got up, grabbed my jacket, and left without a word.

If I had looked back, I would have seen Pete smile and chuckle wickedly.


	3. Chapter 3

"Hello?"

I swallowed. "Hey, Mona, it's me."

It was lunchtime, and Dad would be out of surgery in less than two hours. Mona would already be back at our apartment. I was at a cafe in town for lunch.

"Max, what's going on?" Mona asked.

I sighed. "We had a fire."

"What? Where? When? Are you okay?" She asked worriedly.

"This morning after we left, my dad's house caught fire." I explained. "My dad's in surgery."

I could almost imagine Mona's expression. "Oh my God. Are you okay?"

"I don't know..." My stomach turned over and my eyes stung. "It's all my fault."

"_Your_ fault?" She asked in disbelief.

"When I grabbed the car keys, I knocked over a candle. It might've still had a little spark left." I said.

"Max, it wasn't your fault." Mona said reassuringly. "It was an accident, that's all."

"I don't exactly have the best track record with my parents." I responded. My voice was shaking.

"You said your mom died during childbirth." Mona replied.

"Bringing me into this world."

"Max, you can't keep blaming yourself for things you had no control over." Mona said seriously. "Things just happen."

I closed my eyes and nodded, and realized she couldn't see me. "Yeah."

She was quiet for a moment. "I should be there with you."

I smiled. "You're where you need to be. I'll be fine."

"Okay. If you're sure." Mona said. "I'll call you later."

"Thanks. I love you." I said.

"I love you, too." She replied. "Bye."

"Bye." I hung up and sighed. Mona was right: I can't keep blaming myself for things out of my control. But if I can't blame myself or my dad for those things, who do I blame? I looked around the cafe as I waited for my food. It was mildly busy. The cafe smelled of coffee, hot chocolate, cinnamon, various buns, and soup. It was slightly dim, but the sun shone through the windows making it brighter.

"Here you go, sir." My waiter put my soup and sandwich down.

"Thanks."

XX

It was now a quarter after one. The sun shone brightly as I headed to my dad's car. The ice was already melted which made it easier for me (ice hates me. I swear...). I pulled out the car keys when someone slammed into me.

"Whoa!" I cried out. My "attacker" gasped loudly.

"Crap. I'm sorry!" My attacker apologized.

...Wait a minute...

"Roxanne?" I ask, recognizing the woman.

"Max?" Her face broke into a wide grin. She hugged me. "Oh my God!"

I hugged her back and laughed. "It's great to see you! What are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here? What are you doing here?" She asked. "I thought you lived in Brookville?"

"I'm visiting my dad for Christmas." I explained. The reality of the situation sunk in.

"How is your dad?" Asked Roxanne.

I sighed. "He's in surgery. His house burned down, and..."

"Oh my God!" Roxanne echoed Mona's exclaimation. "Is he going to be okay?"

"Yeah. He's been in worse scrapes than this." I said, shrugging and smiling. "I can't think of any right now, but..."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah...I think so." I said rubbing the back of my head. "So, enough about me. What brings you here?"

"I had a family reunion over Christmas." She explained.

"Oh, that sounds like fun." I smiled.

She nodded. "It was."

I wonder if she's seeing someone. Oh, God, _I'm_ seeing someone! I shouldn't be wondering that!

"So, are you seeing someone?" Roxanne asked with a slight hesitation.

"Yeah, actually." I replied. She looked crestfallen. "I'm...I'm gonna ask her to marry me."

She managed a weak smile. "That's great. Congratulations."

"Well, she hasn't said 'yes', yet." I chuckled.

She laughed. "True."

"So, what about you? Are you seeing someone?" I asked.

Roxanne's face fell again. She closed her eyes for a moment and opened them. "No. I was married, but...my husband died a few months ago."

"Oh. I'm so sorry." I said. I put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Do you wanna talk about it?"

She sighed and looked straight ahead. "It's just so sad. He had a rough life. I tried making him happy... it worked for a while. I became pregnant with his baby. But I had a miscarriage..." she hugged her stomach. "He finally couldn't take it any more and shot himself." She sniffed and wiped away her tears.

I pulled her into a hug. "I'm so sorry."

Roxanne collected herself. "It's okay." She sighed. "Your girlfriend's lucky to have you."

"I'm not so sure." I sighed and looked ahead. "I think I annoyed her with all those negative anecdotes about my dad."

"Oh, don't tell me you're still embarrassed by him!" Roxanne exclaimed.

"I'm not!" I blurted out without realizing. "I'm not. I..." How can I put this?

"You finally came to your senses?" Roxanne guessed. She smiled. I nodded. "Well, it took you long enough!"

I sighed again. "Not you, too..."

Roxanne laughed. "Sorry. I'm sure he'd be glad to hear that."

"Thanks." I stood up. "I'll see you around."

"Sure." Roxanne smiled. I nodded and waved to her before walking off. "Max!" I stopped to listen. "If you ever need to talk, I'm here."

"Thanks." I said again.

XXX

I made it to the hospital by 2:15. Pete was waiting in the waiting room. He looked surprised to see me.

"Why the surprised look?" I asked, smiling and raising an eyebrow. "You know I'd never turn my back on people who need me." (A/N...Crap. Another Avatar: The Last Airbender quote. Sorry!)

"Oh, well, it's just that you looked upset last time I saw you." Pete shrugged.

I sat next to him. "I was. But then I realized there are some things I just can't control."

"How very Dr. Phil of you." Pete said.

Dr. Linzer walked towards us. I stood up in anticipation. He smiled when he saw me. "Well, your dad's out of surgery."

"Really? How'd it go?" I asked.

"Extremely well." Dr. Linzer nodded once. "His lungs are a bit damaged by the smoke, so I'll have to put him on antibiotics, plus I'd like to keep him here til tomorrow for observation."

I chuckled with relief and hugged the doctor. "That's great news!" I let go.

"Yes it is." The doctor replied. "He's sleeping now, but he's in Room four-west-fifteen."

"Thanks." I said. He walked off. I collapsed into a chair closed my eyes and rubbed my forehead. Man, that was a nightmare! I'm just glad it's over! I have to call Mickey and Donald to tell them the news! And PJ and Bobby and Mona and Roxanne...

I opened my eyes to tell Pete, but he was gone. Hmm. He must have already gone to Dad's room.

XX

Room four-west-fifteen took two hallways, an elevator, and three more hallways to get to. I looked in the window to see my dad sleeping on his bed and Pete standing by his equipment. I opened the door and walked in.

"Hey." I whispered.

Pete jumped slightly and addressed me. "Oh, hi." He sighed. "Well, I'll leave you two Goofs at it."

"Uh...thanks." I stared after him. That was weird... I pulled a chair up close to Dad's bed. He looked much better than he did this morning. I took his hand in mine and gave it a gentle squeeze. He squeezed back. I smiled at him lovingly. My dad stirred. I set his hand back on the bed and pulled back as he woke up.

"Maxie?" He looked at me with a pleasantly surprised expression.

"Hi, Dad." I greeted. "How are you doing?"

His face fell into a guilty expression. "I had hoped you'd never see me like this."

"Hey, come on. It's not that bad." I smiled reassuringly. "At least you're not in a coffin."

He smiled and chuckled at that. "That's true."

I chuckled slightly. After a minute, I sobered up. "How did it start? The fire?"

"I don't know." He shook his head slowly. "I came downstairs because I smelled something burning, and I saw fire spread along the front entryway. I tried putting it out, but it was too strong...the front door was blocked, so I couldn't get out."

"So, then you went for the back door?" I asked.

Dad nodded. "And the next thing I knew, I'm waking up in a hospital bed."

"Oh." Guilt bubbled up inside me. "Dad, I think I might've accidentally started the fire."

Dad looked surprised. "What?"

"Your car keys were on a table in the entryway. I knocked over a candle...and I think it was still burning." I explained. I was starting to get choked up. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Dad asked, still surprised.

"Oh, God. Everything." I looked up. "I was so bad to you- and so mean. I was selfish and judgemental, and you-you were so...patient and kind and loving. I couldn't see past all of your...goofiness." Dad sat up and pulled me into a hug. "How can you forgive me so easily?"

"Max, there is nothing to forgive." Dad pulled away. "I take responsibility for some things, too. I was too clingy and selfish. I'm sorry."

"You're forgiven." I smiled. Hey, he did apologize.

Dad smiled with relief. He then changed the subject. "How bad is it? The house?"

"Pretty bad." I admitted. "I took out the deed in your name. The firemen said only forty percent of everything in there is salvageable."

"Oh..." Dad's face fell. He brightened up. "Well, at least some of it is salvageable. I'll have to find a place to stay."

"I'm staying at PJ's house." I said. "You can stay with us."

Dad smiled. "If PJ doesn't mind."

"He won't." I assured him. "And I'll be there. I'll help you look for a house, and I'll help you buy new stuff..."

"But what about Mona?" Asked Dad.

"She'll understand."

"I don't want you to put your life on hold for me..." Dad said, his voice cracking up. "You have school, and Mona."

"I can take my classes online." I explained. "And I'll mail a check to Mona for our rent. Plus, she can come visit."

"You really thought this through." Dad said, smiling.

"Sure did. Ah-yuck, ho-ho-ho-ho-ho!" I laughed and smiled.

Dad was again, pleasantly surprise to see me not react negatively to my laugh. I squeezed his shoulder gently. He put his hand on mine. Finally, we can have a normal father/son relationship.

**Don't worry- it's not over yet!**


End file.
